Dog barking and separation anxiety at night

[ShrekDawg]

It's okay, everyone has a different opinion and I like hearing everything

 

[ShrekDawg]

If he is an LGD: there is one thing for sure- he should probably be getting a ton more excersize. Dogs like that are bred for stamina and therefore it's unnatural for them to lounge around all day. Does he ever show an interest of wanting to go outside- other than to just urinate and defecate of course.
For the night barking, I have personal success with the Thunder Shirt, buy as you have validly pointed out, they are quite costly.
Something my mom (a veterinarian) and now I swear by for anxious dogs is called Rescue Remedy. It can be found in holistic pharmacies or your local, independantly-owned pet store. For stressful situations: visits to the vet, being left alone, adapting to new surrounding, excessive whining. Fear of loud noises, such as firework and thunder. Excessive barking or hissing. Highly appraised by Bach Flower Remedies. Drug-free and all-herbal.


Please listen to the other (better) advice than mine!! As you have read, I am only a teen, and therefore there are a TON of more veteran dog psychologists on here!
~Sarah

I thought LGD's were bred to stay with the flock and lounge during the day then guard from predators at night? He is much calmer than our old Lab. Although I think it depends on the specific breed because I watched this video where they had different LGD breeds because they would patrol a different distance away from the flock. And they do regularly patrol as well so you may right. And either way, barking at night, or running during the day, they still get that energy out somehow. And plus of course they were bred to traverse the mountains with the flocks, most flocks then didn't just live in pens, so I suppose he does need exercise.

He really doesn't want to go outside though, sometimes you have to practically drag him off the bed LOL but when he wants to go out he bugs you. And once he is outside, he LOVES being out there and doesn't like coming in.

My other concern with a Thunder Shirt was weather one even fits him because he's so big lol but it sounds like it is worth a shot.

Wow, that sounds pretty cool. I'll look into that, thanks!

 

[HeavensHens88]

If he is an LGD: there is one thing for sure- he should probably be getting a ton more excersize. Dogs like that are bred for stamina and therefore it's unnatural for them to lounge around all day. Does he ever show an interest of wanting to go outside- other than to just urinate and defecate of course.
For the night barking, I have personal success with the Thunder Shirt, buy as you have validly pointed out, they are quite costly.
Something my mom (a veterinarian) and now I swear by for anxious dogs is called Rescue Remedy. It can be found in holistic pharmacies or your local, independantly-owned pet store. For stressful situations: visits to the vet, being left alone, adapting to new surrounding, excessive whining. Fear of loud noises, such as firework and thunder. Excessive barking or hissing. Highly appraised by Bach Flower Remedies. Drug-free and all-herbal.


Please listen to the other (better) advice than mine!! As you have read, I am only a teen, and therefore there are a TON of more veteran dog psychologists on here!
~Sarah

I thought LGD's were bred to stay with the flock and lounge during the day then guard from predators at night? He is much calmer than our old Lab. Although I think it depends on the specific breed because I watched this video where they had different LGD breeds because they would patrol a different distance away from the flock. And they do regularly patrol as well so you may right. And either way, barking at night, or running during the day, they still get that energy out somehow. And plus of course they were bred to traverse the mountains with the flocks, most flocks then didn't just live in pens, so I suppose he does need exercise.

He really doesn't want to go outside though, sometimes you have to practically drag him off the bed LOL but when he wants to go out he bugs you. And once he is outside, he LOVES being out there and doesn't like coming in.

My other concern with a Thunder Shirt was weather one even fits him because he's so big lol but it sounds like it is worth a shot.

Wow, that sounds pretty cool. I'll look into that, thanks!

Yes, LGDs are bred to guard livestock. But then there's that one word:
Outside.
I wish I could post a video on here- but boy do they run! LGDs are usually let loose in an expansive penned area or even loose in an infinite amount of open space. So even being bred to guard, they still do run while guarding livestock.
A lot!!

I may have missed it, but how old is your LGD?
~Sarah

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yes, LGDs are bred to guard livestock. But then there's that one word:
Outside.
I wish I could post a video on here- but boy do they run! LGDs are usually let loose in an expansive penned area or even loose in an infinite amount of open space. So even being bred to guard, they still do run while guarding livestock.
A lot!!

I may have missed it, but how old is your LGD?
~Sarah

I never thought of that and I suppose I kind of missed that part!! Or even if they didn't run and just walked, let's say, the flock/herd doesn't just sit in one spot and moves around so I guess that's still a lot of exercise if it's a big area so I guess he does need exercise. Probably better for his joints and heart too?

And he is turning 5 years old on March 7th

 

[HeavensHens88]

Yes, LGDs are bred to guard livestock. But then there's that one word:
Outside.
I wish I could post a video on here- but boy do they run! LGDs are usually let loose in an expansive penned area or even loose in an infinite amount of open space. So even being bred to guard, they still do run while guarding livestock.
A lot!!

I may have missed it, but how old is your LGD?
~Sarah

I never thought of that and I suppose I kind of missed that part!! Or even if they didn't run and just walked, let's say, the flock/herd doesn't just sit in one spot and moves around so I guess that's still a lot of exercise if it's a big area so I guess he does need exercise. Probably better for his joints and heart too?

And he is turning 5 years old on March 7th

Hmmm.... he's in his prime and yes you are correct- LGDs do usually have better vitals when active...

 

[ShrekDawg]

Hmmm.... he's in his prime and yes you are correct- LGDs do usually have better vitals when active...

So he does need more exercise then? He actually seems to have calmed down. He was crazy from like 4 or 5 months to like 2 years haha then he started calming down some between 2 and 3 and being a great boy but still active. He really seems to have slowed down and gotten older a lot. :/ Pyrs don't live that long right? :/ we got him neuteref too early though at like 4 or 5 months cause he was humping everything and she said he was plenty big enough :/

And yeah, i was thinking for all dogs in general.

 

[HeavensHens88]

Hmmm.... he's in his prime and yes you are correct- LGDs do usually have better vitals when active...

So he does need more exercise then? He actually seems to have calmed down. He was crazy from like 4 or 5 months to like 2 years haha then he started calming down some between 2 and 3 and being a great boy but still active. He really seems to have slowed down and gotten older a lot. :/ Pyrs don't live that long right? :/ we got him neuteref too early though at like 4 or 5 months cause he was humping everything and she said he was plenty big enough :/

And yeah, i was thinking for all dogs in general.

Yes- I strongly recommend more excersize, but, if I'm listening yo your description correctly, the hard part will be getting him out of the house! Have you ever walked him on a lead regularity before? Or do you have a large amount of acreage/fenced yard?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Yes- I strongly recommend more excersize, but, if I'm listening yo your description correctly, the hard part will be getting him out of the house! Have you ever walked him on a lead regularity before? Or do you have a large amount of acreage/fenced yard?

I used to walk him a lot but he can be a little reactive to some dogs sometimes so I got scared and stopped walking him haha but he's pretty good on a leash and actually, he loves to go on walks and do stuff and have fun but just to go potty you have to drag him lol

And we have almost 3 acres but like half is woods. Sometimes I take him through our woods. I might start that again or around our huge yard. I actually took him around the yard today before class, we had fun.

I also worked on recall before that and he is really good and starts moving towards me the first time now but I noticed he was kind of just slowly ambling towards me and for a few treats that aren't his favorite, obviously bored but willing to listen, so then I tried running away from him haha and he had tons of fun! He ran after me, we did that a few times. Then the walk. So that might be good exercise but more running next time haha

 

[dainerra]

even if the guarding behavior can't be trained out, you can train him on how to do it with appropriate behavior. What you are describing isn't a protective instinct but an insecure dog.

 

[ShrekDawg]

even if the guarding behavior can't be trained out, you can train him on how to do it with appropriate behavior.    What you are describing isn't a protective instinct but an insecure dog.    

You are probably right. And he didn't used to bark so much. He would some but the barking at everything is newer. And his insecurity is probably our fault from lack of socialization... :/ but maybe he doesn't want to bark at everything? He might be glad to have some rules at what he's allowed to bark at and to relax a little? I think maybe it was Bee or someone else? That had a dog from a house as a pet and had to get rid of it because it was allowed to bark at inappropriate things and was ruined or something? And they train theirs what's appropriate to bark at and what isn't? Is that what I need to do?

But it's annoying because my dead lets him do it. And he could be barking a few minutes or like 5, 10 minutes, more occasionally, and he won't go get him. He says him barking some isn't bad and the neighbors won't mind or whatever. Maybe. But it's not some, it's every day.... and we always go get him the second I hear him barking or minutes after at most. He won't. The second problem is he thinks there is none. That we shouldn't correct him. He's just doing his job..... I am going to tell him what you said about him being insecure. And besides, he can still do his job perfectly fine. He has very different barks. His barking at people/barking after that is laying on the ground barking and just kinda yeah whatever go away. But when there is a coyote, fox, etc. He is on his feet going BALLISTIC and a very different, deep, scary, alarm/furious bark. So, imo, even with the corrections, he will still be able to do his job fine, maybe better even....

Now, question.

He ALSO. Uses that bark on deer and turkeys and he HATES squirrels..... I'm assuming that's not acceptable either? Sometimes he wakes up early morning ballistic over a deer waking everyone up..... But I don't want to correct the alarm bark... and how do we know for sure it's a deer.. I guess I just start when there's deer during the day. But my question and fear is that by correcting for the alarm bark, he will no longer protect. Like I said, the other bark is different and he will know. But this is the same bark he uses for real threats. OR. Is he smart enough to connect the dots that this is a deer he's barking at and that's not okay but a coyote is? I wonder if we should lure animals in to train him... Probably not a good idea aha